1. Stay on Nob Hill, Where The Huntington Just Reopened

I told Juliana to base herself at the top of Nob Hill. The century-old Huntington Hotel sat dark for six years after closing in 2020, its old neon sign switched off. When the previous owners finally prepped it for sale, they reportedly found a strange scene inside: music still playing in the halls, guests’ luggage left in the rooms. Spooky! In 2023, a partnership between San Francisco businessman Greg Flynn’s Flynn Properties and hotel company Highgate acquired the 1922 building and brought in designer Ken Fulk to reimagine its interiors while preserving much of its historic character. The Huntington reopened this year on March 1, with Mayor Daniel Lurie joining the reopening celebration the following day as that rooftop sign flickered back to life.

The 143 rooms and suites are unusually large and Nob Hill Spa now runs across three floors with an indoor pool. The time-warpy Big Four restaurant downstairs is back for its fiftieth year, with white-jacketed waiters, vintage tableside service and a piano set most nights. The adjoining bar, Arabella’s, features hefty pours from a classic French bar cart. Rooms start around $600. It’s not cheap, but it’s a coveted address that lets you walk to most of what you’d want to see the next morning from the front door.

2. Take The Powell Street Cable Car (But At The Right Time)

Or you could clickety-clack it. The Powell–Hyde cable car, which runs right by the Huntington, is arguably San Francisco’s most scenic cable-car route. It climbs Nob Hill, passes near Chinatown, crosses the serpentine section of Lombard Street and descends Hyde Street toward the Bay. Dramatic, yes. But you definitely want to avoid boarding at Powell & Market during peak hours because that terminal often has the longest line. The best strategy is to board near the Huntington early on a weekday (ideally before 9 a.m.) or ride the route back from Hyde & Beach after exploring the waterfront.

3. See The Bridge From Underneath, At Fort Point

The Golden Gate Bridge is best viewed from below rather than from on top of it. I suggested that Juliana get to Fort Point by 11:20 on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday for the free 11:30 ranger talk. Then she can stand in the courtyard of the old Civil War fort while the span runs directly overhead and traffic rumbles across out of sight. Yes, it’s a thrill to stroll across the iconic gangway but underneath you get the scale and majesty without giving up an afternoon to the sidewalk. Afterward, I said she should walk east along the Bay Trail through Crissy Field toward the Presidio. What’s nice is that the bridge stays in view the whole way.

4. Eat In Chinatown At 5 Not 7:30

Without a plan, dinners can get tricky quickly in San Francisco. As a first-timer, it’s so easy to misstep, follow a crowd and find yourself at, like, Applebees.

Chinatown gets gritty but it’s worth the adventure on the early side. For the most exciting option, get to Four Kings around 5:15 for its 5:30 opening. The tiny, raucous Cantonese restaurant was named the Bay Area’s best restaurant by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2026, and walk-ins later in the evening can face an enormous wait. A party of one or two has the best chance at the counter; order the mapo spaghetti, XO escargot with milk bread and crispy squab. If the line already looks grim, walk a few minutes to Chong Qing Xiao Mian before 6, when tables are usually easier to get, for spicy beef noodles, house cold noodles and pork belly with garlic sauce. For a more traditional dinner, reserve R&G Lounge and share its salt-and-pepper Dungeness crab.

5. Listen In The Dark At Audium

If you’ve read my work here, you know I like immersive entertainment. Audium is a 49-seat immersive theater built for spatial sound, with 176 speakers and the lights off completely. Once it’s dark, the sound moves over you, under you, behind you, through you. You lose track of where the sound is coming from. Shows run Thursday through Saturday, and the schedule only posts a couple of weeks out, so book as soon as you see dates. There isn't much else like it anywhere.

6. Go Down Into The Sutro Baths Before Sunset

As per my explicit instructions to our Brazilian pal: Time this for about 45 minutes before the sun goes down. That gives you enough light to climb through the ruins (basically, it’s what’s left of a huge glass bathhouse that once held seven seawater pools and seating for thousands) while the Pacific pushes through old channels and the sky turns Giants orange. Start back up before it gets dark because the path does get dark and you’re on the edge of a literal cliff edge out there. But again, it’s worth the effort. It’s one of the best stretches of coast in the city.

7. End The Night At Club Deluxe

This one’s brand new, sort of. Over on Haight Street at Club Deluxe, the old art-deco room this month reopened with its mirrored ceiling and woodwork restored. There’s live music seven nights a week. That’s jazz on Mondays from the Deluxe Jazz Collective, with blues and rockabilly the rest of the week. I’ll tell you what I told Juliana, which is to get a drink, find a table and listen. I also said to do all these things before every other first-timer (and long-timer) works out the timing.

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